The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-09-08
THE SCIENCE OF SAILS.
Points That 4nsht.msa anF ca'siBoatms'


Points That Yachtsmen anI catboatmen
May Value.
Like birds wing, the first need for all
effective sail is rigid leading edge or
weather leech; obtained in the square and
Iugsails by the dyag Of bovine, in the
lateensail by the yard or bone Of the sailwiug
ITSELF in staysails by the rigidity of the
mast or supporting stay and in jibs by the
powerful hosting purchase and use Of chain
for halyards. Before the Introduction of
chain, the jib, like the first string Of ayiolin,
was constantly getting out of tune and in
want of setting up Another point in good
sail is that the after edge, when held in place
by the sheet, should be as nearly upright or
vertical as the seams of the sail, and, like the
after edge of a wing, unconfned by anything
more than q hem or lightest Of rope, save
where reefband requires strength.
The cloth at this end of a jib is at times
seen shaking while the rest of the canvass is
still as though frozen, and it is better the
wind should pass it freely so than be girt in
or held by it. The cloths of a jib are out a
little convex upon the leading edge, and un-
less the position Of the sheets were carefully
fixed with respect to this convexity, the luf
of jib would be concave instead OF straight
when roped and hoisted
There is an old sea saying, often used too,
by landsmen without knowing why, viz. II
knew him by the cut of his jib," jib really
having more cut about it than other sails.
Though few practical sailmakers or users
of them know really much about algebraic
formula they have their rules, handed down
to them from old time, for cutting out sails;
and, as wind and water are very conserva-
tive elements, they seldom go far wrong.
Among these rules is that working by thirds
that is, when at a loss as to the best pro-
portion for one thing toward another, to
take a third. The boat always takes her
third of the fish caught, yard of a lug sail
is slung third from the end, the most CON
veX part of the jib is at one-third of the luiP
from the tack, and the sheet exactly opposite
the point. A pious adherence to his old mys-
terry saves much calculation and trouble, and
VIII an shipbuilders thought a third a good
proportion of beam to length, fair amount
Of stability was insured to our ships Sailors
speak Of a sail as lifting or pressing quite in
dtpendently Of its power of driving a vessel
ahead. All jibs are lifting sails, which do
their work with least tendency to force a
vessels lee side down. They are safe sails to
iibe or veer round under the wind; hence,
perhaps, the term "jibe." The angle at which
the weather edge of jib stands has much to
do with this lifting quality, for cutters
foresal, though triangular, is not found
lifting sail. Next to jib, the sail which has
most of this power is no doubt the lateen
DATING sail Of tho south, particularly as set
upon the foremast Of a felucca, while the
splendid lifting power of the lanteen sail may
have led to its being retained as the head sail
in the strange combination Of rigs seen in the
Turkish vessel which is known as a xebec.-
Robert Leslie in Harners